Hand drawn or painted FDC (first day covers) have been done since the 1940s. Over the past few years I have begun combining my collection of comic character hand drawn sketches with FDCs. This blog is being maintained for the purpose of sharing my collection...

Friday, February 24, 2012

Chandra Free is the artist and author of The God Machine graphic novel from Archaia. Chandra is also the reative director at BLAM! Ventures, was an artist on Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock comic, Archaia and Sullengrey by Ape Entertainment and contributed two digital panels to the illustrated novel Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes...

Chandra is intensely interested in the incorporation of psychology into her art, focusing on the unconscious and human aspects of her characters. I find her art to be exceptional. ..

The God Machine is a graphic novel about lost love, monsters and crazy gods. It's the story of Guy Salvatore, who after his girlfriend's death, has difficulty making sense of his world. Excellent story, fantastic art.

Whilte looking through some of my first day covers, Chandra was immediately taken by the Princess Leia stamp. Princess Leia and R2D2 were featured on one of the USPS Star Wars stamps issued in 2007.

Hardin also dose a line of illustrations called Slot Car Thrillustrations featuring vintage model car racing action and Slot Head Signs, which has a strong feel of Ed Roth's Rat Fink art...I am sure his school notebooks were lined with drawings just like this...

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Feb 12, 2012 John Severin passed.. Severin was a comic book artist noted for his distinctive style.
Severin worked for EC comics, Prize, DC, Marvel, Warren Publishing, Cracked magazine and MAD magazine.
Severin started working in the field of comic in 1947. Since artists were not credited for their work in the early days, Severin's first credited work is listed as a Boy Commandos adventure for DC comics. Besides war stories Severin also penciled many western adventures and romance stories...

Some of the titles Severin worked on includes Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos, Incredible Hulk, Conan the Barbarian, King Kull, The Rawhide Kid

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Feb 8, 2012 - Blaine MacDonald was an editorial cartoonist for the Hamilton Spectator (Ontario, Canada) for 30 years until his retirement in 1993, passed on Feb 8. Blaine's style was strongly influenced by the Toronto Star cartoonist Duncan Macpherson...

Blaine received National Newspaper Awards, a Reuben Award and a Salon of Cartoons Grand Prize for his work. Blaine created a national profile for himself and the Spectator through the syndication of his work.

Many of the people Blaine drew in his editorial cartoons stated he was an unbelievably talented artist, whose style captured the essence of the moment. He created a loyal following that would view his cartoons first, before any other section of the newspaper...

Page from a book about Blaine showing some of his editorial cartoons...

Friday, February 3, 2012

Offering a chance of pace this week with a post on block printed covers. Wood-block printing is a technique that dates as far back as 4th century throughout East Asia, China and Egypt. Modern print-makers use linoleum as a variant to woodcuts. A design is cut into the linoleum with the raised portion leaving a reversed image. The block is inked and pressed onto paper to leave an impression.

Many famous artists have worked in block-printing, Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (produced unbelievable art with wood-block) Pablo Picasso, MC Escher, Albrecht Durer. The Metropolitan Post Card Club of NY features information about block printed postcards..

Dave and Sabrina Curtis create block printed covers. Both are members of the AFDCS and the Art Cover Exchange (ACE). Their covers are printed by making several color prints by re-cutting the block between prints, to created beautiful designs. Dave started first, with Sabrina adding her artistic talents a few years later. They are currently using a product called "Easy-cut Rubber Block", which is similar to linoleum block, but easier to cut. Dave usually produces one set of covers for each stamp issued, in limited numbers. Sabrina, has what she calls a Monet style, producing covers of her favorite subject, animals...

Wm. Roy Rice

I did a lot of trading with Mr. Rice, from West Virginia, back in the late 1980s to early 1990s. I always appreciated his style and design. Wm. Roy started in 1977, using a 1940 Franklin hand-press, producing a limited number of covers for stamp club invitations to local meetings and for personal use. This is an example of his work featuring a Star Trek design for the "E" Earth stamp FDC from 1988...

Raymond E Robinson

An example of one of the linoleum block prints I did for the Moon Landing Anniversary issue of 1989. This cover is from a set of three, with each cover honoring the Apollo 11 astronauts, Michael Collins (above), Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. I started creating block printed covers in 1977 for the Charles Lindbergh issue...

About Me

I have been a collector as far back as I can remember. Stamps, covers, autographs, baseball cards, comic books, coins, political buttons, sports memorabilia, space stamps and covers, and the list goes on.
This blog was set up to be able to share a small part of my collection with anyone who shares the interest.